Flourless Espresso Chocolate Cake

This cake was intense! In a good way. (Can chocolate and intense ever be bad?) I made this around Christmas time when my nephew was in town from Minnesota. (I know, I've been really slacking on my blogging!) I think he liked it. :) The texture was almost like chocolate mousse, but dense enough to be called a cake. Fabulous. Definitely making this for something else....


Adapted from: Crave by Maureen McKeon


INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups chopped dark chocolate
3 Tbsp strong freshly brewed espresso coffee
3 Tbsp coffee liquor or brandy (I used Kahlua)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch cake pan, line with parchment paper, then butter the paper.
Melt the chocolate with coffee and liquor in a heatproof bowl over hot water. Stir until smooth.
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and white sugar in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water for about 10 minutes, or until thickened and almost tripled in volume.
Whip the cream, superfine sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
Gently fold in the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then fold in the whipped cream.
Pour the mixture into the prepared plan and immediately put the pan in a roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the side of the cake pan.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until skewer inserted into the center of the pan comes out almost clean (the skewer will be slightly moist, the cake will continue to cook as it cools).
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan in the water bath. When cool, do not remove from the pan; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve, immerse the cake pan in a little hot water to loosen. Invert into a wire rack, remove the paper, then invert again onto a serving plate. Optional: Serve with fresh raspberries and heavy cream.

Jensen Ackles Bars

Hm....how would describe these bars since the name gives nothing away?! They are kind of like a sugar cookie butterscotch bar with a kick of espresso. Sound good? They are! I actually think the espresso was a little much, I could've gone with adding a little less (even though the original baker thought she could've added more). I didn't make the butterscotch sauce to go along with these bars and they tasted just fine all by themselves. I made these just because I was in a baking mood (and therefore had them laying around the house...not good!). Now I know for the future that these are definitely a dessert I would want to serve!

Adapted from: http://unegaminedanslacuisine.com/

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) of unsalted butter, cut into about 6 pieces for easier melting
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 teaspoons of salt
1 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of espresso powder
2 1/4 cups of firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup (half a stick) of butter
1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt (use more or less to suit your taste)

DIRECTIONS
Bars: Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter/spray a 9x13 inch baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter/flour the parchment. Or line the entire pan with tin foil (have the foil go over the edges for easy removal) grease and flour the foil.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt all the butter over low heat. Once the butter is melted, turn the heat up to medium and cook the butter until it turns golden brown and takes on a nutty fragrance. Depending on how high the heat is, this may take several minutes. Stir the butter occasionally and keep an eye on the colour. It will get a little bit 'foamy' but keep cooking until it starts to clarify and then change to a golden brown. Once it has browned, remove it from the heat and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and espresso powder. Set it aside.
In a separate, larger bowl mix the butter and sugar together with a large wooden spoon or spatula (the mixture will be grainy). Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond. Mix well. Be sure the eggs have been well incorporated. Add the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as you stir. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. It might be thick so you may have to spread it out with the spatula.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out slightly moist but with no crumbs. If the edges start to brown too much, remove the pan and cover just the edges with some tin foil. Once they are done, place the pan on a cooling rack and let it come to room temperature. You can serve these alone or with the butterscotch sauce.
BUTTERSCOTCH
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sugar, cream, and salt. Whisk until blended. Bring the mixture to a slow, easy boil. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. *It will eventually begin to thicken. Once it does, cook for about 2 more minutes.*
Remove from heat. As it cools, the butterscotch will thicken. You can pour it over the bars just before serving them or pour it on ahead of time (this will result in a thicker, almost frosting-like sauce.)

Overnight Monkey Bread

Well, this turned out much better than expected! I have never made any bread besides a quick bread. When I got to kneading the dough....well, I don't think I "kneaded" it correctly. The dough is supposed to become shiny after 6-7 minutes of kneading and mine didn't change texture or appearance at all. I almost threw it out. However, I thought I made it this far, so what was the difference if I finished the recipe and it turned out awful? THEN I could throw it out. This tasted like any other monkey bread I've had - delicious!

Adapted from: http://www.barbarabakes.com/ (originally from Cook's Illustrated

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted1

1/3 cup milk, warm (about 120 degrees)

1/3 cup water, warm (about 120 degrees)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons table salt

1 package rapid-rise yeast (or instant)

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for work surface

BROWN SUGAR COATING

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

GLAZE

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS

Butter a 12-cup Bundt pan generously with softened butter. Set aside.
In large measuring cup, mix together melted butter, milk, water, sugar, and salt. Stir to dissolve.
Mix 2 1/2 cups flour and yeast in stand mixer fitted with a beater blade. Turn machine to low and slowly add the milk mixture. After the liquids are incorporated, switch to the dough hook, increase the speed to medium and gradually add the remaining flour (add more or less as necessary) until dough clings to the hook and almost cleans the sides. Knead until the dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft free place until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes. While dough is rising, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in bowl. Place melted butter in second bowl. Set aside for the sugar coating. Remove dough from bowl, and pat into rough 8-inch square. Using bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces. Roll each dough piece into a ball. Working one at a time, dip balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into bowl. Roll in brown sugar mixture, then layer balls in Bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers. Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.
Approximately one hour before you want to bake your Monkey Bread, remove it from the refrigerator and let the dough come to room temperature and the dough will begin to rise. (It should have risen some in the refrigerator overnight.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap pan and bake until top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
FOR THE GLAZE: While bread cools, whisk confectioners’ sugar and milk in small bowl until lumps are gone. Using whisk, drizzle glaze over warm monkey bread, letting it run over top and sides of bread. Serve warm.

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Blondies

So easy and really good! The original recipe said to bake for 45 minutes, but I would check on it at 40 minutes and take the blondies out at that time. I felt the pieces around the edge were drier than those in the middle...and I really like a nice gooey blondie! They made a perfect addition to our impromptu Super Bowl Party. As soon as I knew it, we were expecting 10 people over to our house and I needed to whip up something quick!

Adapted from: http://www.lesliesarna.com/

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt (I like kosher best)
About 8 oz. chocolate chips, butterscotch chips or a combo of both

DIRECTIONS
Grease a 8 x 8 inch pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, whisk together the butter and sugars until they are smooth. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Slowly stir in the flour and salt. Stir in the chips : ) and pour into the greased baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Brandy Alexander Cupcakes

Another dessert for our Mad Men party! Yes, I know cupcakes weren't big in the '60's...but Brandy Alexander drinks were! (Also, I just bought this cute cupcake holder, so I wanted to use it at the party.) Brandy, cream and creme de cacao garnished with nutmeg....yum. I couldn't actually find a recipe for Brandy Alexandre cupcakes, so I altered Martha Stewart's brandy cupcakes which I found on The Cupcake Diary's website. The cupcake itself was wonderful. This must have been from the sweet milk/brandy mixture that the cupcakes soaked in for about one day wrapped in the fridge. I wanted to add creme de cacao in the whipped cream topping but couldn't find a miniature bottle that I could add a tablespoon or two to the mixture. Instead, I had some leftover Kahlua from a previous recipe and added some cocoa powder. I added each of these to taste, so I approximated the measurements in the recipe below. Then I topped off the cupcakes with a dusting of nutmeg.

Adapted from: www.TheCupcakeDiary.com (Originally Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS - Cupcake
6 large eggs, separated, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Brandy
Nutmeg for dusting

1. Preheat over to 325* F. Line regular sized cupcake tins with paper-lined foil liners, you can buy these at most grocery stores. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together egg whites, baking soda and salt until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low. Add yolks and sugar, whisk until completely combined. Fold in melted butter with a flexible spatula. Add flour in four batches, folding until just combined after each.
2. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each half-way. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until light golden brown, the original recipe says about 25 minutes. I checked on the cupcakes at 20 minutes and they looked done so I remove from oven at that point. Immediately poke holes in tops of cupcakes with a wooden skewer or toothpick.
3. Whisk together evaporated milk, condensed milk, heavy cream and Brandy. With cupcakes still in tins, brush milk mixture over cupcakes, repeating until all liquid has been used, this might take several minutes. Allow cupcakes to absorb mixture, at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 day in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in plastic once completely cool; bring to room temperature before serving).
To finish, dollop or pipe on whipped cream generously onto cupcakes and dust with nutmeg. (The original recipe calls for cinnamon.) Serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS - Frosting
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Cocoa powder - about 2 Tbsp
Kahlua - about 1 1/2 Tbsp


DIRECTIONS
Whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar, and whisk until combined. To create the "Brandy Alexander", I added some cocoa powder and Kahlua since I didn't have any Creme de Cacao. It gave the frosting a nice hint of chocolate. If not using immediately, whipped cream can be refrigerated, covered tightly, up to 3 hours in an airtight container.

Chocolate Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Glaze

This was my first time making a bundt cake because I never had a bundt pan before! I recently bought a bundt pan because my husband and I threw a Mad Men party. Having an early 1960's themed party, I wanted some authentic food to be served! The bundt cake became popular during this time. I found a recipe for a fantastic chocolate cake at BakingBites.com, though omitted the frozen raspberries. I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa (as always) and this cake was phenomenal! It was so rich and dense. Since I didn't have the fruit to offset this, I prepared a very simple white chocolate glaze. TIP: Spray the bundt pan REALLY well with Pam in order to have a mess-free bundt cake. I've heard how it can get stuck to the inside of the pan and look very messy but as you can see, mine looked amazing! :)

Cake adapted from: www.BakingBites.com

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

2 tsp instant coffee/espresso powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup hot water

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (I omitted)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. (Spray with a lot of Pam, I actually thought it was too much. And I didn't flour it.) In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugars. Whisk in butter, vegetable oil and vanilla. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, followed by the hot water. Mix only until no streaks of flour remain. Pour about half of the batter into the prepared pan. If using raspberries, add them in and then topped with the remaining batter. Run a knife through the batter gently to even out the distribution of the berries. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cake rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, then gently loosen the cake and turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Serves 12.

White Chocolate Glaze adapted from: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com\

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon milk

DIRECTIONS

Combine white chocolate chips and milk in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on MEDIUM (50%) 50 seconds; stir. Microwave on MEDIUM at additional 30-second intervals until chips are completely melted; stir well after each 30-second interval. Pour warm glaze over cooled cake. Let stand about 30 minutes. Garnish as desired; serve.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

What? Bacon chocolate chip cookies? Yes, that's right. And they were delicious. I wasn't sure how I felt about this at first, but I've been seeing a lot of bacon and chocolate dessert recipes online lately and just had to try one. The cookie recipe itself was really good, I may have to use this as a basic chocolate cookie sometime! The mix of salty and sweet taste was just right, and the cookie was very buttery as well. I altered the recipe a bit - I used margarine instead of butter (usually a no-no in baking!). We only had one stick of unsalted butter left in the fridge and I was only making these for fun, so used the margarine instead. I also didn't add white chocolate chips and actually only did add about 1 cup of dark chocolate chips (not 1 1/2 since the white chocolate was omitted). I also used less bacon than was called for. I mixed in about 1 1/3 cups instead of 2 cups and it looked to be more than enough. And I didn't make the maple glaze, so I can't comment on that. Maybe bacon chocolate cupcakes will be next....?

Adapted from: http://www.creamandsugar.ca/


INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened (I used margarine)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups of cooked bacon broken into pieces (I used about 1 1/3 cups and it was plenty!)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (I omitted and used all dark chocolate)
5 strips of cooked bacon, cooled and cut into one inch strips (to top the cookies - I didn't do this)

GLAZE (I didn't make the glaze)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp maple extract
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp water

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla, until light and fluffy. Gradually stir flour mixture into creamed mixture.
Add both chocolate chips and cooked bacon bits. Mix to incorporate.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop or your hands, make approximately one inch balls.
Bake for a total of 9-10 minutes.
While the cookies bake, mix the Maple Cinnamon Glaze by combining the powdered sugar, maple extract, vanilla, and cinnamon, and mix together until smooth and creamy.
Once baked, move cookies to a cooling rack, add a small amount of glaze, and top with the reserved squares of crisp bacon.